He played college basketball for the University of Rhode Island, earning all-conference honors during his only season in the Atlantic 10 Conference before turning professional.

[15] Though he considered entering the NBA directly from high school and consulted Kobe Bryant as a player who had made that jump, Odom ultimately decided that he was not ready and committed to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas instead.

However, a Sports Illustrated story questioning the validity of his ACT score and an arrest for soliciting prostitution provided the school cause enough to revoke his scholarship, and for this reason, he never played for the Runnin' Rebels.

[16] To the university's further embarrassment, an investigation by the NCAA would later reveal that Odom had received $5,600 in illicit payments from one of its boosters,[17] resulting in the firing of Coach Bill Bayno and UNLV being placed on probation for four years.

[18] Odom transferred to the University of Rhode Island, with the cost of his room and board being covered by funds his father received from the G.I.

His career at Rhode Island had been in some jeopardy during his first semester after he once vanished before finals; that is until coach Jim Harrick prevailed upon three of his four instructors to let him make up his extant work.

[5][9] Odom also drew inspiration from the example of his maternal grandmother, a nurse who had raised five children and returned to school to earn her degree in 1980 at the age of 56.

[1] After the season, Odom was traded in a package with Caron Butler and Brian Grant to the Los Angeles Lakers for All-Star Shaquille O'Neal.

[30] In his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Odom incurred a left shoulder injury that forced him to miss the end of the 2004–05 season.

Along the way, he posted consecutive triple-doubles for the first time as a Laker in games against the Golden State Warriors[34] and the Portland Trail Blazers.

[37] After young center Andrew Bynum had gone down with a knee injury[38] and Pau Gasol was acquired amid the 2007–08 season,[39] Odom stepped up his production, as he posted averages of 15.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists across 36 games.

[44] Jackson later disclosed his plan to move Odom to the bench as their sixth man, backing up the Lakers' frontcourt consisting of Gasol, Bynum, and Trevor Ariza.

The 15 points Odom scored in the third quarter helped the Lakers turn a 12-point deficit to a 10-point victory, ending Cleveland's 23-game home winning streak in the process.

[48] When Bynum returned to the hardwood for a home game against the Denver Nuggets, on the 9th of April, Odom adjusted back into his sixth-man role.

[45] During the offseason, Odom considered taking a break from basketball after a close cousin of his was murdered and he himself was a passenger in a SUV involved in an accident that tragically killed a teenage cyclist.

His struggles [made] him a frequent target of [Mavericks coach Rick] Carlisle, who [harped] on Odom's need to understand the coverages, be more alert, communicate and get in better shape ...

In a statement to ESPN, Odom said, "I'm sorry that things didn't work out better for both of us, but I wish the Mavs' organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship.

[70] On February 18, 2014, Odom signed with Laboral Kutxa Baskonia of the Spanish League and the Euroleague on a two-month deal with an option to extend it for the remainder of the season.

[72][73] A month later, he returned to the United States due to a back injury after his personal doctors in New York ruled him unfit to play out his contract.

In December 2018, he joined Philippine club Mighty Sports,[77] which was set to play in the 30th Dubai International Basketball Tournament on February 1–9, 2019.

[78] The roster included fellow imports Justin Brownlee and Randolph Morris, together with local amateur, former professional and Filipino-American basketball players.

[85] Odom, being one of the elder statesmen on a young U.S. squad, served as a mentor for many of the younger players[86] and even played out of position at center for the tournament.

[15] Odom developed a relationship with his father, who became drug-free; however, he remains closer to his high school coach, Jerry DeGregorio, who he calls [his] "white dad".

Almost a week earlier, gossip websites had alleged that Odom had been abusing drugs, which prompted worried tweets from former teammates and coaches.

[70][99] On December 9, Odom pleaded no contest to the DUI charges and accepted a sentence of three years' probation and three months of alcohol abuse treatment.

[112] In the aftermath of the incident, Kardashian withdrew her request for a divorce;[107] she stated that she had not reconciled with Odom, but wished to assist him in making medical decisions during his recovery.

[117][118] He called himself a "walking miracle" who had "cheated death", and acknowledged that his past drug use had made "the end of [his basketball] career come along a little faster".

Wrigley made a replica of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy out of candy in celebration of the Lakers' victory in the 2009 Finals, and Odom's name is featured on the base.

[121] In 2015, Odom was #1 on the Google Trends list for living people, which measures the highest spikes in search traffic over a sustained period compared to the previous year.

[125][126][127] He subsequently became Chief Creative Officer at ZNest, where he leverages his personal experiences to help families navigate senior care options and improve access to quality housing for older.